MAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Age Limit, Qualifying Criteria, Number of Attempts

Management Aptitude Test 2025 ( MAT )

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Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on Jul 16, 2025 18:32 IST

MAT eligibility criteria includes academic qualification, minimum marks, work experience, age limit as mentioned by AIMA. The basic qualification to appear for the MAT exam is graduation. Know here the details of MAT eligibility criteria 2025.

MAT eligibility criteria

MAT exam eligibility criteria is a set of academic requirements that MBA aspirants need to fulfil to be eligible to take the entrance test. The basic eligibility criteria for MAT is graduation. The good part is that there is no minimum score requirement. Candidates with passing marks in Graduation can appear in MAT. However, the colleges accepting MAT score may have the minimum score requirement, thus it is best to score atleast 50 percent in graduation to pursue full-time MBA from a reputed institute. 

The MAT exam is conducted four times a year – February, May, September and December. MAT score is accepted by over 800 B-schools across the country for admission to MBA/PGDM courses. Those who plan to take the MAT 2025 exam, must check the eligibility criteria before applying. Candidates can take MAT exam in one of the three modes of their choice - Internet-Based Test (IBT), Computer-Based Test (CBT) or Paper-Based Test (PBT) and the eligibility criteria for all three modes are same. There is no limit on the number of attempts for taking the exam. The scores of latest MAT attempt will be taken into consideration for MBA admission.

Also Read: MAT 2025 application form and registration process 

MAT Eligibility Criteria 2025

All India Management Association (AIMA) the MAT conducting agency, prescribes the eligibility criteria. Check details below:

MAT Exam Eligibility: Academic Qualification

  • Candidates must have completed bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised Institute or University.
  • Candidates appearing in the final year examination or awaiting result for Bachelor's degree are also eligible to appear for MAT 2025.

MAT Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit

There is no age limit to appear for MAT exam. However, since the academic qualification is graduation, the age of candidates is usually 20 and above. 

MAT Criteria: Work Experience

Work experience is not a mandatory eligibility criteria for MAT. However, it carries extra weightage in selection process of MBA colleges accepting MAT score.

Also Read:

MAT Eligibility Criteria for Participating Institutes

As per the general MAT eligibility criteria fixed by the participating institutes, candidates should have a bachelor's degree and a valid MAT score. Some of the B-schools specify eligible marks for the qualifying degree examination of 50 per cent aggregate for General category and 45 per cent aggregate for Reserved category. 

Also Read: MBA colleges accepting MAT scores

MAT Exam Eligibility: Reservation Criteria

MAT or AIMA does not prescribe Reservation criteria for the entrance exam. The Reservation Policy is followed for admission through MAT as specified by the participating colleges as per the Reservation Policy of the Government of India.

MAT Reservation Criteria for SC/ST/OBC/EWS candidates

Candidates belonging to the Reserved categories are eligible for admission in to MBA programme as per the quota percentage given below. Such candidates will have to submit at the time of admission, respective caste/tribe certificate issued by the Government of India to get a seat through Reservation Policy.

Category

Seat Quota Percentage

Scheduled Caste (SC)

15%

Scheduled Tribe (ST)

7.5%

Other Backward Classes, Non-Creamy layer (NC-OBC)

27%

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)

10%

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MAT Reservation Criteria for PwD candidates

As per the RPwD Act 2016, 5 per cent seats are reserved for PwD candidates in educational institutions.

The categories of disability are:

  1. Blindness and low vision
  2. Deaf and hard of hearing
  3. Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy, cured dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
  4. Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
  5. Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under one to four
  6. Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016

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Check MAT Cut offs and predict calls from colleges accepting MAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all MAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict MAT Admission Calls
Q:   Can I write MAT - CBT exam at my home or will they provide a center for this exam?
A:

For MAT CBT, candidates will be allotted a test centre in the city they shall have selected as preference in the, MAT application form. Candidates can appear for MAT from home in only IBT mode.  MAT CBT is held in the followimg cities: Agra, Ahmedabad, Asansol, Bareilly, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Delhi, Ernakulam - Kochi, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Hubballi (Hubli), Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Madurai, Meerut, Mumbai, Mysuru (Mysore), Nashik, Noida, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Rourkela, Shillong, Shimla, Silchar, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Vellore and Vijayawada

Q:   What are MAT eligibility criteria?
A:

Since MAT is an entrance exam for post graduate level management courses, the minimum eligibility criteria for MAT exam is graduation. Candidate should have completed graduation in full-time or part-time mode in Arts, Commerce or Science from a recognised university. The eligibility criteria for MAT PBT, CBT and IBT are the same. Final year graduation students who will be giving their final exam or awaiting results are also eligible to appear in MAT. There is no minimum score requirement in MAT. Candidates need to have passing marks in graduation.

Q:   Can I apply in more than 5 colleges with MAT score?
A:

Yes, you can apply for more than 5 colleges with MAT score. The limit of 5 MBA colleges is only for the MAT application form. If any candidate wishes to apply for more colleges, they can do so by filling the application forms of those colleges separately. The MAT cut offs, will be different for different colleges, so candidates must check it before applying.

Q:   Can I appear for MAT from home?
A:
Yes, candidates can appear for MAT exam from home. For that, they need to opt for the Internet Based Test or IBT mode option in the MAT application form. In IBT mode, candidates can appear for the test from home or any location by using a laptop or desktop with a functional webcam and internet connection. Given below are some guidelines for MAT IBT: The candidates must have a stable internet connection with proper speed throughout the exam duration A proxy for this is if they can login into their email accounts without difficulty. Upload Speed: Minimum speed should be 512 kbps Browser to use are: Chrome version 63 and above and Firefox version 52 and above Operating system to use are: WindowsOS (Version7 and above) Dot NETframework: MSB requires dot net framework. The minimum supported version is 4.5.1. NETframework Memory: 65MB permanent free space on the default hard drive.
Q:   Do Iims accept MAT score?
A:

No, IIMs do not accept MAT score for MBA Admission. They only accept CAT score for admission to their MBA/PGP programmes. However, MAT score is accepted by over 700 MBA colleges in India including: Amity University GL Bajaj Institute of Management & Research Christ University GITAM Institute of Management JIMS Rohini Jain University Taxila Business School, Jaipur SRM University Birla Institute of Management Technology Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Tezpur University Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India IIFM Bhopal YMCA.

Q:   For how long is MAT score valid?
A:

MAT score is valid for admission for the same academic year in which the candidate has taken the exam. For example, MAT 2025 score will be valid for admission for 2025-2026 MBA batch only. If a candidate wishes to drop a year after taking the MAT exam, then they will have to appear for the exam once again next year. They should however check the eligibility or selection criteria to have a clarity of MAT score of which session/phase is valid for admission in which academic year. For example, for 2025 academic session MAT September and MAT December scores will be valid for admission to some MBA colleges who have the admission cycle of January-February. Whereas, colleges who conduct admission in March-May accept MAT February exam scores for admission. To simplify, MAT test takers must not try to use their score for admission more than one year after appearing for it. They should appear for it again and use the latest score for admission.

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Vipra Shrivastava
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Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. Read Full Bio
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Answered 4 days ago

Hi.

The expected MAT cutoff for admission to the PGDM programme at GIBS Business School Bangalore is generally around the 64 percentile.
 
Key Details on the MAT Cutoff
  • Minimum Requirement: A MAT score of at least the 64 percentile is the standard benchmark for general category candidates to be consider

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered 4 days ago

Hi.

Yes

The institution offers a range of scholarships, and performance in entrance exams like MAT (and CAT, XAT, etc.) is a key criterion for determining the amount of the scholarship award. 
 
Scholarship Policy at GIBS
GIBS has a clear scholarship policy designed to reward academic excellence and stro

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered 4 days ago

Hi.

GIBS Business School has consistent and moderate cutoff trends for CAT and MAT over recent years. The scores generally fall within a specific range, and the university emphasizes a holistic evaluation process rather than relying solely on the entrance exam percentile. 
 
Common CAT Cutoff Trends
  • Per

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered 4 days ago

Hi.

GIBS Business School primarily uses a merit-based admission system that considers the applicant's overall profile, but it does offer specific considerations and seat allocation for reserved categories and management quota seats. 
 
Reservation Policy at GIBS
Unlike public institutions (like IIMs) th

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered 5 days ago

Hi.

Admission to the MBA programme is based on merit in the qualifying exam and a valid score in any one of the accepted national or state-level management entrance exams. The university also conducts its own in-house entrance exam, the DPAT, as an alternative option. 
 
Accepted Entrance Exams for MBA

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered 5 days ago

VIT Business School accepts MAT exam percentile for admission to MBA programme. The MAT Cutoff 2024 is 80 for students belonging to the General All India category. In 2023, the VIT Business School cutoff was 80, and in 2022, it was also the same, at 80.

This trend suggests that the MAT percentile has

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 8

Answered 3 weeks ago

The admission deadline for GITAM MBA through the MAT entrance exam is February 21, 2025, based on information from their admissions notice.

A

Amrita D jaiswal

Contributor-Level 8

Answered 3 weeks ago

Yes, you can get admission to the MBA programme at AURO University with a valid MAT score. The university accepts MAT besides other recognised entrance examinations such as CAT, CMAT, XAT, and GMAT for admissions to its MBA programs. This is because AURO University aims to provide an opportunity to

...Read more

A

Amrita D jaiswal

Contributor-Level 8

Answered 3 weeks ago

No, MAT is not compulsory for the admission process in MBA or PGDM courses offered at ICBM-SBE. The institute uses a number of national-level entrance examinations such as CAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, and MAT for multiple qualifying opportunities. This flexibility gives students with diverse academic

...Read more

A

Amrita D jaiswal

Contributor-Level 8

Answered a month ago

If you make an error in the educational qualifications section of the MAT form, you can typically make amends during the official correction period offered by AIMA. The correction period is open for a short time after the submission of the application. You can log in with your MAT account and edit t

...Read more

A

ABHINAV SRIVASTAVA

Contributor-Level 10